Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity

Jeff Ikler
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Curiosity sits at the intersection of creativity, effective human interactions, problem-solving and purposeful change. Unfortunately, the pace of life — at home, work, and school — often sidetracks our natural curiosity. So, let's see the familiar from a different angle or something new as a possibility to consider.

  1. 2D AGO

    How Do Unspoken Family Histories Shape Who We Become?

    Guest Carol Tyler, known for her beautifully written and drawn autobiographical comics, is one of the most important and influential comics artists ever. In July 2026, she will be inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame at Comic-Con. Her books are: Soldier's Heart: The Campaign to Understand my WWII Veteran Father (2015), and Fab4 Mania: A Beatles Obsession and the Concert of a Lifetime (2018). Her current book is in two parts: The Ephemerata, Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief, September 2025. Part II Verdante, The Ephemerata Goes Home, due in 2026. Summary In this conversation, Carol Tyler discusses her graphic memoir Soldier's Heart, a deeply personal work that blends visual storytelling with narrative to explore her father's World War II experiences and their lasting impact on her family. She explains that graphic memoir is not simply illustrated text but a deliberate interplay between words and images, where each medium carries distinct emotional and informational weight. Tyler developed a unique visual language—through color palettes, panel styles, and composition—to distinguish timelines, perspectives, and emotional states. The project began when her father, late in life, unexpectedly opened up about his wartime experiences, prompting Tyler to document his stories through recorded interviews. These revelations coincided with crises in her own family, including her mother's stroke, her daughter's mental health struggles, and strain in her marriage. As a result, the memoir evolved into a broader exploration of intergenerational trauma, linking her father's unprocessed war experiences—what might now be recognized as PTSD—to patterns of anxiety, depression, and OCD across generations. Tyler reflects on how World War II shaped not only individual veterans but an entire culture, influencing family dynamics, gender roles, and societal behavior in the decades that followed. While the book brought some understanding and partial reconciliation, her relationship with her father remained complex, especially as he aged and regressed emotionally. Ultimately, the memoir serves as both historical preservation and personal reckoning, capturing stories that might otherwise have been lost. A key reflection Unprocessed trauma—especially from war—doesn't end with the individual; it reverberates across generations, shaping families, relationships, and even culture in ways that often remain unseen until deliberately examined. Social Media & Referenced Soldier's Heart Carol Tyler—Pages and Progress video

    1h 11m

  2. MAR 31

    What Do We Still Get Wrong About Wolves?

    Guest Amaroq Weiss is the Senior Wolf Advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. A biologist and former attorney, she has worked on wolf recovery and conservation advocacy at the state and federal levels across the country for nearly 30 years. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. Summary This episode features Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, in a wide-ranging conversation about wolf conservation, public perception, and coexistence. Weiss traces her path from a childhood fascination with wildlife to a career blending science, law, and advocacy, shaped by influential books and mentorship. The discussion centers on the persistent vilification of wolves, rooted in cultural narratives imported from Europe and reinforced by modern media and political interests. Weiss argues that wolf hatred is largely learned—and therefore reversible—emphasizing that most Americans actually support wolf protections. She explains how wolves are often scapegoats for broader tensions around government regulation, while misconceptions about their behavior fuel fear. Ecologically, wolves function as keystone species, regulating prey populations, promoting biodiversity, and even helping control disease. Economically, they contribute to tourism and can reduce costly deer-vehicle collisions. To avoid conflicts with livestock and enable coexistence, Weiss outlines a range of effective non-lethal strategies—such as removing attractants, using guard animals, and modifying ranching practices. The episode also explores the ethical and intrinsic value of wolves, beyond their economic and ecological value. Weiss urges listeners to challenge misinformation, advocate for science-based policy, and recognize wolves as sentient beings with a right to exist. Ultimately, she frames conservation as a long-term, multi-generational effort requiring shifts in both mindset and behavior. The Essential Point The core of Amaroq's argument is that our conflict with wolves is less about the animals themselves and more about legacy beliefs and practices that can be changed through education, policy, and a willingness to coexist. Social Media & Referenced www.biologicaldiversity.org https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv https://waleslit.com/authors/amaroq-weiss/ Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez Wolf Wars by Hank Fisher Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth 60 Minutes: The Wolves of Yellowstone

    1h 19m

  3. MAR 24

    Why Might the Arts Teach the Holocaust More Powerfully Than History Alone?

    Guest Karen Berman, Ph.D., Chaired the Department of Theatre and Dance at Georgia College and previously taught for 15 years at Georgetown University. She is Dean Emerita, College of Fellows of the American Theatre; Past President of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education; Director of 150 Holocaust and other theatre productions; and winner of the Georgia Governor's Award for the Arts and the Hillel Heroes Award. Karen is co-Artistic Director of Washington Women in Theatre. She is the co-author with Dr. Gail Humphries of the two-volume work, Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal. Co-host Irene Stern Frielich was a guest on Episode 370: "Walking Where History Happened: A Daughter's Holocaust Journey." Irene is the daughter of a German Jewish Holocaust survivor—but for much of her life, the story remained unspoken. In 2017, after rediscovering her father's testimony, Irene set out to physically retrace his escape route from Nazi Germany through his survival in Holland. The result was a journey of reconciliation and healing. Her award-winning memoir, Shattered Stars, Healing Hearts, explores trauma, courage, and connection across generations. Summary In this episode, Jeff and co-host Irene Stern Frielich speak with Dr. Karen Berman about the role of the arts in Holocaust education and remembrance. Dr. Berman discusses her five-year project to co-edit two volumes featuring 33 contributors who explore how theater, music, visual art, and film illuminate the Holocaust and its aftermath. The books argue that the arts can foster empathy, healing, and social responsibility while inspiring people to become "upstanders" who actively oppose hate and injustice. The conversation explores how artistic expression functioned as both resistance and survival during the Holocaust. A powerful example is the performance of Verdi's Requiem in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, where imprisoned singers used music as a form of spiritual defiance against their captors. The discussion also examines how Holocaust education is evolving. Scholars and educators are increasingly shifting from purely historical instruction toward approaches that engage students emotionally and morally through storytelling, performance, and immersive technologies such as virtual reality and holographic survivor testimony. Ultimately, the episode emphasizes that art has the power to humanize history, deepen empathy, and transform audiences into witnesses. By connecting personal stories with creative expression, educators and artists can ensure that Holocaust memory remains meaningful—and that the lessons of history inspire moral action today. The Essential Point The episode emphasizes that art has the power to humanize history, deepen empathy, and transform audiences into witnesses. By connecting personal stories with creative expression, educators and artists can ensure that Holocaust memory remains meaningful—and that the lessons of history inspire moral action today. Social Media Website: Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal: www.storiesoftheholocaust.com Georgia Governor's Award for the Arts: https://share.google/7ZF1jsonbwuBfMeDr Hillel Heroes Award: https://share.google/AVs09ck8I9RpdVIDb Kirkus Reviews Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal. Volume I https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-berman/stories-of-the-holocaust/ Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal. Volume II https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-berman/stories-of-the-holocaust-2/ Substack LinkedIn Referenced Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín Virtual reality video of a Holocaust survivor revisiting the Majdanek concentration camp: Pilgrim in the Metaverse

    1h 21m

  4. MAR 17

    "Attack!" How Do the Complexities of Character and Context Converge to Shape History?

    Guest Bill Whiteside abandoned a 30-year career in software sales to devote his time to a story that he started researching to keep his mind engaged during his business travels. Intrigued by a little-known incident from early in Winston Churchill's first term as Britain's Prime Minister, this diversion evolved into an obsession as he dug into the story of a controversial and catastrophic clash between the British and French Navies from multiple angles. The more he learned, the more it became a book he just had to write. That book, Operation Catapult: Winston Churchill and the British Attack on the French Navy at Mers-el-Kébir, was published by the U.S. Naval Institute Press in March 2026. Summary In this episode, Jeff talks with author Bill Whiteside about his new book, Operation Catapult, which describes a little-known but dramatic episode early in World War II. Whiteside explains that after France fell to Germany in May 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill feared that the powerful French fleet might fall into Nazi hands. Determined to prevent this strategic disaster, Churchill ordered the British Navy to confront the French fleet anchored at Mers-el-Kébir in Algeria. When negotiations failed, British ships opened fire on their former allies, killing nearly 1,300 French sailors. Whiteside describes how the story captivated him because it reveals the moral complexity and human drama behind major historical decisions. Rather than presenting events as simple or inevitable, his research shows how Churchill agonized over the decision, how British officers struggled with the prospect of attacking friends, and how individual personalities shaped the outcome. Whiteside emphasizes that history becomes compelling when readers see historical figures as people—leaders balancing duty, fear, loyalty, and uncertainty in moments of crisis. The conversation also explores Whiteside's research process as a non-professional historian. Drawing on archives in the U.K. and California, original letters, and memoirs, he reconstructed the perspectives of both British and French participants. Influenced by narrative historians like Laura Hillenbrand and Rick Atkinson, Whiteside has crafted a fast-moving, character-driven account. Ultimately, the book explores leadership under extreme pressure and invites readers to reconsider a controversial decision that may have helped ensure Britain's survival during one of the war's most vulnerable moments. The Essential Point Whiteside argues that history becomes truly meaningful when we move beyond headlines and dates to understand the human decisions, personalities, and moral dilemmas that shape events. Social Media Operation Catapult: Winston Churchill and the British Attack on the French Navy at Mers-el-Kébir

    1h 2m

  5. MAR 10

    What Can Standing in Awe of the Natural World Teach Us?

    Guest Tom Reed studied photography at Rutgers while studying Geography.  Ansel Adams, Edgar Payne, and the Hudson River School are major influencers. Zen sensibilities profoundly influence his compositions and writings, as he is a student of Japanese martial arts and aesthetics (chado).  His photographs and writing center on the experience of awe at the sight of a landscape. He hopes this leads to considering nature itself divine and sacred, and that stewardship, rather than the dominant utilitarian view, is the only sane attitude.  Summary In this episode, Jeff speaks with photographer, writer, adventurer, and wellness coach Tom Reed about a life shaped not by financial ambition, but by a deep desire for experience, nature, and meaning. Reed traces this orientation back to formative childhood moments that helped him value independence and authenticity over conventional success. His path led him through geography studies, wilderness work in Alaska, whitewater guiding, sailing, martial arts, and ultimately photography. Reed's artistic philosophy blends influences from Ansel Adams with Japanese aesthetic traditions. His black-and-white landscape photography—especially from Patagonia—aims not to comfort but to evoke awe: the kind of beauty that shocks us into awareness of something greater than ourselves. The conversation explores how skill and serendipity intersect in creative work, the role of mindfulness in perceiving opportunities, and the thread of vitality that connects Reed's diverse pursuits. The discussion also turns to climate change and environmental degradation, with Reed emphasizing acceptance without apathy—a stance rooted in spiritual maturity and non-judgment. Ultimately, Reed's work invites us to reconsider why certain landscapes move us so profoundly—and what that says about our relationship to the natural world. A key reflection Awe is a powerful emotional and spiritual experience that can dissolve ego and reconnect us to something greater. References / Links Photo website:   www.tomreed.com Books: https://tomreedbooks.com/ TEDx:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB8L5a-P6NM blog:  http://tomreedphotography.wordpress.com/ MBAM audiobook:  https://mrtomreed.gumroad.com/l/moved-by-a-mountain-audiobook Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/mrtomreed/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TomReedsPhotos

    54 min

  6. MAR 3

    How Do the Experiences of War Echo Across Generations?

    Guest Matthew Collins is a writer, speaker, and voice coach whose career spans British television, travel writing, prison education, and Shakespeare. A former BBC presenter, he now leads voice and public speaking workshops and teaches Shakespeare to students ranging from ex-prisoners to members of the Women's Institute. His approach is non-academic. He encourages students to explore Shakespearean texts using spoken voice exercises - and to feel the effects they can have on the mind and body. (And soul...)  Matthew also gives entertaining talks. And last year, he launched the podcast "We Sons of World War II Vets," which explores the stories and remembrances of World War II veterans as told to their sons and daughters.  Summary In this episode, Jeff speaks with Matthew Collins—former BBC presenter, prison educator, and host of We Sons of World War Two Vets—about his podcast where he interviews the sons (and now daughters) of WWII veterans. Sparked by reflections on his own father's wartime experience and the stories left partially untold, Collins began recording conversations with baby boomers whose fathers fought in the war. Although many of these veterans "didn't really talk about it," their children absorbed attitudes shaped by hardship, stoicism, discipline, and emotional restraint. Matthew explores recurring themes: the cultural gap between pre-war fathers and post-war sons, delayed gratification versus modern immediacy, emotional desensitization born of trauma, and the quiet heroism often discovered only after a parent's death. Through stories ranging from aristocratic war heroes to working-class POWs, Matthew highlights how wartime experiences reverberated across generations—shaping parenting styles, masculinity, and family dynamics. Ultimately, the project preserves fading history while inviting younger generations to reconsider resilience, community, and the cost of freedom in an era that may no longer take peace for granted. A key reflection We often don't fully understand our parents until after they're gone, so try to explore their past now through gentle probes. Social Media & Referenced Website: https://www.matthewcollins.com/ Podcast: https://www.matthewcollins.com/we-sons-of-ww2-vets Elizabeth Keating interview: https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog/338-asking-essential-questions-to-uncover-and-preserve-family-history

    57 min

  7. FEB 24

    What Do Artifacts Explain About the History of the West?

    Guest Paul Knowles has not followed a conventional path. Originally from Texas, he worked in Downtown Dallas as a financial advisor for the world's largest private wealth manager. He then served as marketing director for a highly successful Colorado regional bank and later for one of the nation's top real estate offices. However, it was after stepping away for a year and a half that Paul stumbled onto his true calling, and for the past ten years, he has been the Assistant Director of the Museum of Northwest Colorado, located in Craig, Colorado Summary In this episode, I visit with Paul to explore Western history through various artifacts. From a massive dinosaur footprint recovered from a coal mine to a 1,700-year-old "burden basket" woven by the Indigenous people living in the area at the time, to the Winchester rifle, the first reliable repeating rifle, the museum reveals a layered history stretching from prehistoric swamps to the era of outlaw drama. Paul challenges Hollywood's myth of the violent, gun-slinging West, reframing firearms as tools of survival rather than symbols of chaos. Through objects like annotated copies of Charles Kelly's The Outlaw Trail, prison-made spurs crafted by inmate John Cox, early Colorado brand books, and a letter referencing Butch Cassidy, we'll encounter a West both harsher and more nuanced than legend suggests. At center stage in the museum stands "Western Reflections," the world's largest watercolor, symbolizing remoteness, resilience, and the central importance of water. Ultimately, our conversation highlights the grit, interdependence, and adaptability required to survive in the historic West. A key takeaway Artifacts tell truer stories than myths; when we examine physical evidence, Hollywood's caricature of the West gives way to a more human, complex reality. A Video Tour of the Museum is available in the show notes for this episode on my website: https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog

    1h 11m

  8. FEB 17

    How Does Animal-Assisted Education Improve Student Focus and Mental Health?

    Guest Barbara Vokatis is a professor at the State University of New York an Oneonta, keynote speaker, award-winning author, and therapy dog partner. She is an author of books in dog therapy in educational settings ("Teachers and Therapy Dog Teams: Innovative Collaborations to Make a Difference for Children") and a children's book ("Carmel Goes to School") with the therapy dog theme. Her latest book is titled "Unshakable: Parenting through Autism with Love, Courage, and Purpose." Summary In this episode, Jeff Ikler speaks with Dr. Barb Vokatis about the role of animal-assisted intervention—especially therapy dogs—in supporting student well-being, engagement, and learning. Dr. Barb explains that her work began when she observed the powerful, calming, and relational impact her dog had on her autistic child, which led her to develop a certified therapy dog program in schools. She describes how structured classroom visits from therapy dogs can reduce anxiety, increase focus, improve classroom behavior, and encourage participation—especially among shy or reluctant students. Teachers reported that students became calmer and more attentive when the therapy dog was present, without disrupting instruction. Dr. Barb shares examples of students who became more expressive, more willing to speak, and even newly motivated to write after interacting with the dog and hearing her story. She emphasizes that therapy animals are not gimmicks or tools, but relationship catalysts that help build trust, kindness, and emotional safety. The conversation broadens to educational reform, arguing that student mental health and kindness should be more intentionally integrated into the school system. Dr. Barb calls for teacher training, professional development, and scalable models that responsibly expand therapy animal programs. The Critical Takeaway Schools should treat student well-being and academic learning as inseparable, with animal-assisted programs as one practical pathway. Social Media/Referenced https://www.instagram.com/dr.barb.educator/ https://www.facebook.com/barbara.vokatis https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-vokatis-ph-d-530649a/ https://barbaravokatis.com  Book recommendation: The Path of Powerful Kindness

    50 min
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Curiosity sits at the intersection of creativity, effective human interactions, problem-solving and purposeful change. Unfortunately, the pace of life — at home, work, and school — often sidetracks our natural curiosity. So, let's see the familiar from a different angle or something new as a possibility to consider.

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